But on Thanksgiving, a holiday that is all about the food, I won't open a can or buy premade goodies. It's only one day a year, and I figure it's the day to pull out all the stops.

Still, premade items like canned cream of mushroom soup and Stovetop stuffing find their way onto lots of Thanksgiving tables. They taste like tradition, and the holiday is about comfort, too.

Are you interested in replacing some of the classics with from-scratch versions without inciting a Turkey Day riot? I've got your back.

Here are a few recipes to help you freshen up your holiday table. I tested recipes for green bean casserole, stuffing and pull-apart rolls. There's also a recipe for cranberry relish, a simple side dish that adds instant color and tartness to a heavy table.

The dishes are upgrades, but not so far from the originals that family members won't recognize them.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

So much about the classic recipe needed updating before it met my freshness criteria that I wondered if it was possible to really remake this Thanksgiving staple.

But then I found Alton Brown's recipe, and I knew just from reading the ingredients that it would be a winner. This casserole is rich and naughty -- like the original -- but also manages to be fresh and complex, unlike its canned-food-reliant ancestor.

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Here's my adaption of Brown's recipe. It makes 6 servings.

Topping:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Nonstick cooking spray

Beans and sauce:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 pound fresh haricot vert green beans*, rinsed, trimmed and halved

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

To prepare oven:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

To bake onions: Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Toss the onions two to three times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use**. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees.

To blanch beans: While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

To make sauce: Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

To bake casserole: Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place in oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

*Shoppers note: Haricot vert green beans are French green beans that are skinnier and more tender than regular green beans. They are available at many supermarkets, but if you can't find them, regular green beans can be substituted. Just blanch them a few extra minutes.

**Cook's note: The onions can be made a day or two ahead of time. Store in a bowl covered with foil.

NOT-REALLY STOVETOP STUFFING

I know, I know, the whole point of Stovetop stuffing is that you don't have to bake it.

But to me, the best part about stuffing is the crispy bits that are formed during a stay in the oven.

So I came up with a version that retains the classic, simple flavor of the packaged version but adds some egg for binding, uses fresh ingredients and is baked for that irresistible crunch that begs to be smothered in gravy. It makes 8 servings.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

10 slices sourdough sandwich bread, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 teaspoons dried sage

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 cup fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 large eggs

To toast bread: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dried and lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Remove and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.

To saute vegetables: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and saute until soft and beginning to brown. Add sage, thyme, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

To finish stuffing: Whisk together chicken broth and 2 eggs in a large bowl. Add vegetables and bread cubes and mix gently but thoroughly. Transfer to a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish at least two inches deep and bake until top of stuffing is brown in parts and an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 40 to 45 minutes.

ROLLS

Oh, those little yeasty rolls, all perfectly formed in an aluminum pan and waiting to be dropped in the oven, are tempting, especially for those of us who don't necessarily love baking.

But fresh-baked, from scratch, kneaded lovingly and allowed to rise next to your cranking Thanksgiving oven are truly something special, especially when served when still warm.

These rolls must be allowed to rise several times, so the best strategy is to begin them after the turkey is in the oven but before you start the other sides you'll make that day.

This Parker House rolls recipe is adapted from Epicurious.com. It makes 21 rolls.

3 tablespoons warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ( 1/4-ounce) package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 cup whole milk

2-3/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 to 3 teaspoons flaky sea salt (such as Maldon*), optional

To proof yeast: Stir together warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar and yeast in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

To mix dough: Melt -3/4 of a stick of butter in a small saucepan. Add milk and heat to lukewarm. Stir together yeast mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, butter mixture, 2 1/2 cups flour and salt in a bowl with a wood spoon until combined well, then stir in enough flour to make a slightly sticky dough that forms a ball.

To knead dough: Butter a large bowl. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, kneading in more flour if the dough is too sticky to work with, for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic but still slightly sticky. Form into a ball and put in buttered bowl. Turn to coat with butter, then let rise in bowl, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in bulk.

To form rolls: Butter a 13-by 9-inch baking pan. Divide dough into 20 equal pieces and roll into balls. Arrange evenly in four rows of five in pan and let rise, covered loosely, in a warm place for 45 minutes or until almost doubled in bulk. Make a deep crease down center of each row of rolls using length of a floured chopstick or side of a ruler. Let rolls rise, covered loosely, 15 minutes.

To bake rolls: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cool slightly. Brush tops of rolls with butter, sprinkle with the flaky sea salt if using, and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rolls cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool to warm.

*Shopper's note: Maldon salt can be found at specialty gourmet stores like Cook's of Crocus Hill.

**Cook's note: You can make rolls a day ahead and keep at room temperature wrapped well in foil. Reheat in foil in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

CRANBERRIES

I don't understand why anyone would open a can of cranberry sauce.

The recipe on the back of a bag of fresh cranberries is about as easy as it gets. Adjust the sugar to your liking, and you have the perfect foil to the richness of Thanksgiving dinner in less than 15 minutes.

But if you're interested in something a little different and nearly as easy, try a cranberry relish, which is all the rage in cooking magazines this year. The cranberries are not cooked, giving the relish a crunchy texture to accompany the tart flavor.

This cranberry orange relish with mint is adapted from Bon Appetit and makes 8 to 10 servings.

1 bag fresh cranberries

2 whole oranges

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/2 to -3/4 cup sugar, to taste

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

To prepare cranberries:Pulse cranberries a few times in the bowl of a food processor. The cranberries still should be chunky.

To prepare relish: Add the berries to a medium bowl and hand-squeeze the oranges over the cranberries, using a spoon to scoop out the extra pulp into the bowl. Add the sugar, ginger and mint and stir. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours for the flavors to meld.